Pastoral planning, under the guiding leadership of the Holy Spirit, is nothing new in the Church.  

From the very beginning of our history as God’s people redeemed in Jesus our Lord, planning has been a common part of our life.  In the various episodes found in Scripture and littered throughout the Church’s history, church leaders discovered particular pastoral needs, discerned ways to address them, and then selected among possible options.  This is “pastoral planning” or “ministry” as understood by the people of St. Margaret.

Often in understanding Church organization and leadership, individuals do the “Catholic thing,” namely they “borrow” from sources outside the Church to effectively order the various needs of our community.  Our ministries at St. Margaret serve to represent the mission of the Church, and the object of each organization should be to further our mission. The beauty of the Second Vatican Council was its change in emphasis.  No longer would the church be ordered as a “top-down” structure with the laity being perceived as mere passive objects. Instead, the thrust of the Council emphasizes the importance of communio – working together to fulfill the Church’s mission.  

At St. Margaret, not only do we want you to invest your treasure – we want you to know your time and talent are valuable to us as well.  We want you to be involved not just in Sunday worship but in our various community ministries that address the needs of the people of Eastern Livingston and beyond!  

Our many vibrant ministries are divided into our Pastoral Council Commission system in one of four categories – Administration, Education, Evangelization and Worship, and Service Ministries.  Considering joining one or more today!